1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a J-runner for shaft wall construction apparatus used to hold wall panels in place during constructions of shaft walls in buildings.
2. Background of the Invention
Walls around shafts, such as elevator shafts, were traditionally formed from concrete. Such installations required personnel working inside the shaft to have to wait until the walls were completed, then remove debris and other material from the concrete erection.
As an improvement to the concrete systems, the assignee of the present invention developed a system whereby drywall (such as SHEETROCK brand gypsum board, available from United States Gypsum Corporation of Chicago, Ill.) or other wall panels can be installed from outside the shaft, thereby significantly reducing any scaffolding, and construction debris inside the shaft. By installing the wall panels from the outside, personnel working inside the shaft no longer needed to wait until the construction was completed to begin their work.
Such systems typically include a pair of J-runners into which a first wall panel is inserted, with the first J-runner along the top of the wall panel and a second J-runner along the bottom. The J-runner generally is formed from metals, such as steel, and typically includes a first short upstanding section and a second tall upstanding section in a substantially parallel configuration, each forming a substantially right angle with a middle section. Such a configuration allows for a first wall panel (or shaft panel) to be inserted between the upstanding sections to form the interior of the shaft. Additional wall panels can be affixed to the outside of the J-runners, typically to the outer surfaces of the short upstanding sections to form the interior of the room. In typical shaft wall constructions, wall studs, such as C-H studs and E-studs, are used to hold the wall panel in place. This type of construction is described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,943,680; 3,940,899; and 4,152,878, all to Balinski, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
However, with this type of construction, vertically centering the wall studs is desired to achieve optimal structural performance. Additionally, when water or moisture develops in the cavity formed by the wall panels, the prior art constructions provide no means for dissipating such moisture.